


Puppy

by orionwrotethis



Series: Baby Twilight [2]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Angst, Eventual Fluff, Gen, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Twilight (Linked Universe) Needs a Hug, Twilight (Linked Universe)-centric, baby twilight au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:35:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28179945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orionwrotethis/pseuds/orionwrotethis
Summary: Continuation of Mr. WolfEssentially, Twilight is turned into his eight year old self after a wizzrobe incounter and chaos ensues
Relationships: Time & Twilight (Linked Universe)
Series: Baby Twilight [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2064393
Comments: 77
Kudos: 251





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> heyyyy y’all !!
> 
> i heard y’all liked baby twi so i had to deliver. i don’t rlly have an update schedule it’s gonna be when i feel like it bc i am busy with other things (like finishing my portfolio for art school T-T which i have procrastinated for so long) and i’m writing when i feel like it most of the time
> 
> also if u have any other ideas for a titles please lmk bc i literally have no idea what to title this agskdhdk

Time had left Twilight to his own devices amongst the group, and whether or not that was a good idea was debatable. 

The pup did shyly walk over to Wild per his mentor’s suggestion. Even managed to throw a quick hug around his legs before scurrying away from every one of the heroes. He would inch away from any one of them if they tried to come close or even try talking to him. 

As troublesome as this was, Time was broken from his thoughts by a gentle hand on his shoulder. 

“Find anything out, Old Man?” Warriors asked, encouraging him to sit down with him. 

Time sat and let out a hum to collect his thoughts before speaking. “Not much. I didn’t want to overwhelm him. Twi mentioned he was a shy child but honestly the way he’s acting is bordering social anxiety.” He paused, trying not to think about that problem right now. “The most I got out of him was what happened with his parents. He did say something about remembering me but I’ve never met Twilight as a child before today. I— I don’t know what to do Soldier.”

Warriors face held a soft inquisitive look. “What ever happened to his parents?”

“They left him in the woods to die.” 

The scarfed hero’s face fell. 

Time began again. “I don’t know if they abused him or anything but from what he told me, they definitely didn’t like him. Said something about his mom not liking magic and his dad not liking him. I guess somewhere between being left alone and living in Ordon, I found him. Helped him to the village too but I have no memory of doing so.”

“Did he have any memory of what happened in the attack?” The younger hero was fiddling with his scarf as to have something to do with his hands. 

“No. He has no idea where he is, who you guys are, and why he’s not back home in Ordon. It’s troubling to say the least. Who’s Hyrule are we in?”

“Wild’s.”

“Shit.”

Warriors chuckled. “I thought the same thing. There’s no way we’d be able to keep a child safe in Wild’s Hyrule. But as soon as we set up camp, the Champion started making a plan to get us to Kakariko to talk to his Impa. He thinks she might know how to help but if not, we can easily make it to Hateno. Has us leaving by daybreak to make it there in safe time.”

“Thank the goddesses for Wild then.” A smile broke Time’s face. “How’s he doing?”

Warriors shrugged. “Hasn’t said anything since he mentioned his plan. I’d say he’s stressing about this all way too much, not that I’d blame him or anything. Hell, I don’t know what I’d do if my calm, cool, and collected mentor was suddenly changed into a partially mute, feral child in my Hyrule of all places. Don’t worry too much about him though, you just worry about Twilight. Me, Legend, and Hyrule are keeping a close eye of Wild. Don’t want him to do anything reckless without his level-headed babysitter here.” 

With that, Wild’s whistle for dinner caught their attention. Mainly because it meant dinner was ready but partially because it meant that Wild still wasn’t up for talking. 

“Sounds like our cue,” Time turned to look at Warriors only to find his attention elsewhere. Following his gaze, the oldest hero saw Twilight with hands covering his ears and shaking his head wildly at Four’s attempts to give him a bowl of whatever was on the menu. 

“Looks like your cue, Old Man.” Warriors patted his shoulder before getting up and sauntering on to the rest of the group. 

Time silently cursed his achy bones as he got up with a few cracks. He was so confused because not even half an hour ago, his pup was excited for dinner. 

Taking calm yet confident strides towards the boy, thoughts racing through his head with no clear idea on how to handle the situation in front of him. He looked back at the rest of the group. Wild was frozen, eyes glued onto the panicked child as Hyrule tried to get him to snap out of it. It hurt Time to see his boys so distressed but remembering Warriors’ words, he focused on Twilight. 

When he reached the two, Time carefully took the bowl of steaming meat and rice and indicated for Four to go on to enjoy his own dinner. Despite the short hero’s hesitation, Four left leaving Time and Twilight secluded from the rest of the group. Not that they were free from their watchful eyes but alone enough that perhaps the kid would calm down. 

“Pup?” Time moved the crouch in front of the scared child. 

Ever so gently, Time moved his right hand out to comfort the child as to not spook him. 

Twilight almost instantaneously flinched, screwing his eyes shut and moving his elbows in to protect his face while still keeping his hands on his ears. 

Well fuck this. 

The hero immediately brought his hand back as if he’d been burned. His mind bagan racing, cursing whatever, whoever, hurt his pup so badly. 

He almost missed the whispered “sorry” as his thoughts swirled loudly. Almost but he definitely heard it; heard it clear enough to silence his mind and focus everything on Twilight. 

The kid in question still had his eyes close but the tension was slowly releasing at every deep breath he was taking. He was able to successfully calm himself down before Time even knew what to do. 

“You don’t- you have nothing to apologize for, Twilight. I would appreciate it if you ate though.” 

The child opened his eyes, eyed the bowl and eyed him before softly shaking his head. “Can’t.”

“Mind explaining why you can’t?”

“Pa would always say that the alpha wolf gets to eat before the selfish runt ‘cause he works harder. You needa eat before I eat, that’s the rules.”

Time’s heart just about shattered into a million tiny pieces. It was obvious now that the culprit behind most of this child’s problems was his own father. If the hero looked further into it, he wouldn’t be surprised at other traumas he might find that were caused by Twilight’s dad. 

“Pup, no. That’s not— your dad was wrong. We are not wolves so there’s no point in acting like them. You will eat before I eat because you need it more than I do. Same with all the others. You guys are my priority, so please eat. I promise you there’s enough for everyone.”

Hesitantly, Twilight took the bowl and started taking small bites. 

A sigh escaped Time as his shoulders slumped forward. “I’m gonna go grab some food for myself. Do you want to come with me and eat with the boys?” 

His pup shyly shook his head. It was endearing how timid Twi was but nonetheless, Time smiled and stood up (cursing his creaky body once more) and turned to grab a bowl. 

The rest of the heroes were silent. Wild’s bowl was practically untouched, Four was playing with his meat, Hyrule hadn’t even acknowledged that there was a bowl in front of him in favor of trying to get the champion to snap out of whatever haze he was stuck in. The group was a mess without Twilight, the Twilight that they had grown accustomed to not the child that wore his face. 

It was Time’s job to fix that. 

“I know this is really stressful and I know you guys are trying but we all need to eat. A warm meal will help all of us feel better, especially you two, Wild and Legend. I assume there were no injuries after the wizzrobe fight?” 

Legend nodded in confirmation while Wild kept his eyes on Twilight. 

“We’ll talk more after he goes down for bed. And by talk, I mean we’re communicating, is that understood?” This statement was mainly focused at the long haired hero. The champion in question briefly looked over at Time before focusing his gaze once more at the child. It was the most he’d be getting out of Wild for a while so he was satisfied. 

“With that being said, I’m gonna grab some food and go back to the kid.” 

Before he left with his meat and rice, Time turned and looked back at the rest of the heroes. “And liven up, he’s a kid, not dead.”

After a few moments of stewing in silence over their leader’s words, the group looked back at the missing duo. Twilight talking animatedly in Time’s lap (which he crawled into the second the man sat down) shyness be damned and Time smiling down adoringly at the boy. 

Sure I’d take a while to get acclimated to their current situation, but Time was right. Twilight was right here, a bit different from how they knew him, but he was here nonetheless. Hopefully they’d get the hero they knew back soon and if Twilight’s smiling face was anything to go by, they would be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you enjoyed this chapter !! i finalized an outline for how i want this story to go so now i have some sort of direction which is always fun agsjdhkd
> 
> i wanna talk abt twilight’s parents bc i have a lot of feelings abt how i’m writing them: 
> 
> so the family themselves live on the edge of a woods away from the nearest village. i imagine twi’s mom being a housewife/stay at home mom. she doesn’t like magic or the goddesses so when twi is born with the triforce on his hand, she kinda hates him. however she does convince herself it’s a coincidence only bc it’s lighter when he’s a baby. of course it darkens over time and it kinda solidifies that it’s fate that he fulfill the triforce. she’s negligent to a degree and definitely distant so that causes twi to be self sufficient at a young age (hence why he’s able to calm himself down from a panic attack)
> 
> twi’s dad on the other hand is a hunter so he’s not around much. he also detests twilight’s existence bc it forced him into settling down which was not something he wanted to do. when he is around, he rarely acknowledges twi unless twi does something that he really doesn’t like. i see him as getting more aggressive towards food and such bc he did the hunting, he should eat first hence the wolf analogy. i don’t think twi was beaten to a pulp by his dad by any means but he was likely smacked around a bit in his father’s idea of “discipline”. ALSO bc he’s a hunter, he hates other predators bc they kill his game which is not good for a hunter so he does hate wolves which sorta instills twi’s dislike of wolves (obviously coupled with ordon’s stigma around wolves) 
> 
> speaking of wolves, i wish i could put in this story abt actual baby twi first meeting time/hero’s shade but it would completely throw off this story. i might write a lil one shot abt it bc i love the idea of hero’s shade helping twilight grow up its makes my lil heart so warm
> 
> anyway i talk wayyy too much and if you have any baby twi headcanons or ideas i’m 100% down to talk abt them in the comments~~ maybe i’ll add them to this fic who knows
> 
> thank y’all so much for reading i genuinely wouldn’t be writing this if it wasn’t for y’all agsjdjdk this idea would be trapped in my lil brain so i really appreciate y’all taking the time to read, kudos, comment, and bookmark <33


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey gang 
> 
> i hope y’all like this chapter bc it fought me the whole time i was writing it

Getting Twilight to sleep was a much easier feat than Time was anticipating. 

The kid passed out in his lap a little less than an hour after they ate. Before that, he was getting comfortable having the boys around, allowing Wind to come over to their clearing just next to where camp was set up. 

He even gathered up enough courage to have a small conversation with the sailor and that was a huge achievement in itself. 

The real trouble came in trying to lay the pup down in his bedroll without waking him. Twilight has his hands gripped behind Time’s neck, showing no indication of being unlatched from the hero. 

It took three heroes, Four, Sky, and Time himself, to pry off the kid. Even then, Twilight briefly stirred causing them to panic and readjust him back to their starting position. 

Eventually, Twilight was down in his bedroll, wrapped in a blanket and cuddled with his wolf pelt, showing no sign of waking up anytime soon. 

Which meant it was the perfect time for Time to really learn about this plan of Wild’s that Warriors briefly mentioned. More importantly, it was the perfect time for the rest of the group to learn all they needed to know about Twilight. 

The group of eight sat in silence around the campfire, very much so aware of their missing link (no pun intended). 

“Is someone willing to explain to me what’s happening when morning comes?” Time caught eyes with the rest of the heroes, gaze staying longer on Wild. 

The silence strung on for a beat or so longer before the champion spoke. 

“We’re maybe an hour or two out from the Dueling Peaks Tower. My slate has us in Mable Ridge which is a couple hours south of Kakariko. If go east from here at dawn, we should make it to Kakariko before sun down. From there we see if Impa knows anything and we can spend the night at an inn. Worst case scenario, Impa can’t help us and we have to take a trip to Hateno as we’ll be safest there at my house. It’ll take a day and a half so we will have to set up camp halfway but we’ll get to that when we get there. The labs are also in Hateno so we can always check if Purah and Robbie know how to help and I can easily use my slate to visit Zelda in case she has any information.”

It was a decent enough plan so Time hummed in confirmation. 

“Sounds good to me.” There was another beat of silence. “I assume y’all have questions about the kid.”

That caused a murmur to plague the group. Each Link talking over each other quietly enough to mind the sleeping Twilight but it was still difficult to make out any words being said. 

“One at a time, y’all.”

Sky took lead of the conversation. 

“Wars told us about what happened when you guys left, but I think there might be some things we should know, don’t you think? Just so we don’t get a repeat of before dinner.”

Hyrule spoke next. “What did happened to him before dinner?”

“He was just startled and trying to follow self imposed rules. Let’s avoid loud noises for the most part and if he mentions a rule that sounds stupid, tell him. I don’t know how many rules he has or if that dinner rule was the only one but better safe than sorry. Next?”

Wind eagerly spoke next. “Can he have weapons?” 

The other seven simply looked at him, effectively silencing the teen.

“Here’s a good one,” Legend started, “how the hell do we get him to trust us? We need to stay together especially in Wild’s Hyrule and if he only feels comfortable at a distance with Time then it puts them in serious danger.”

“I can handle myself Leg.”

“That’s not what I’m implying Old Man. Say you two are trailing behind us and we can’t hear you. Suddenly you’re surrounded by monsters. Your first instinct is to protect the kid. If you’re focusing on him and you get hurt, Twilight has no means of protection. He’ll get hurt as well. It’s stupid to think we would be better off separating for his comfort when we should be trying to gain his trust.”

Time mulled over the pink-haired hero’s words. He was right but the older hero didn’t know how to gain Twilight’s trust. It just, happened. 

Time did nothing but walk into the picture and the pup trusted him. 

“He’s— shy. I think, you just have to respect his boundaries. If he doesn’t want to talk, don’t talk. If he doesn’t want to be touched, don’t touch him. He does seem to know sign which is good so maybe that’s a starting point. I’ll acclimate him to the rest of us when we get on the move tomorrow but don’t expect him to be super buddy-buddy.”

“As long as he’s not feral.” Warriors mumbled under his breath. 

Time, choosing to ignore the soldier’s comment let out a sigh. “I think it’s time for us to buckle down and hit the hay.”

Wild immediately jumped up from his spot. “I’ll take first watch!” 

“Then I’ll take second,” Time followed. “Who wants third?”

Four raised his hand. “I can take it.”

The heroes made their way to their bedrolls, ready to sleep for the night. 

All except for one. Wild was pacing anxiously around the edge of camp. This didn’t go unnoticed by Time. 

The pacing coupled with the unusual silence during their campfire chat, the oldest hero made his way over.

The champion stopped, curiously eyeing Time. “Shouldn’t you be getting ready for bed?” 

“Cub, talk to me. What’s wrong?” Time choosing to completely ignore Wild’s comment. 

“I’m scared.”

“I know but maybe if you’re more specific I can help.”

“I— I’m not used to being alone-“

“You’re not alone.”

“I know that!” One of Wild’s hands gently pulled at his long ponytail as to relieve his frustration. “He’s always been there for me and I don’t know how to be there for him, I guess. I’ve known him since my adventure and he’s always been the one helping me and I feel so useless. He’s been guiding me for most of my memory and now he’s not.”

Time mulled over these words before gently putting a hand on the cub’s shoulder. “Right now, Twilight doesn’t know who we are or where he is. Does that remind you of something?”

Something clicked in the scarred hero’s mind as his eyes briefly lit up in understanding. Before Wild could speak, Time continued. 

“Be the guidance that he was for you. It might take some getting used to for him but it took you some getting used to when you first met Twi. We’re all worried and we’re all scared. Please talk to someone. I don’t think anyone really likes it too much when your eyes start glazing over and you go quiet. It’s okay to be scared but we can always problem solve, yeah?” 

Wild nodded. 

“Good. I’m gonna go to bed, I’ll see you when we switch shifts. And we will be switching shifts, Cub. You gotta sleep just like the rest of us.”

“Okay okay, Old Man. I get it, I’ll wake you up. No promises after that though.” The teen snickered. 

“Oh yeah? Good thing I’ll tell Twilight when he gets back that you were being reckless. I’m sure he’d love to hear that.”

Wild’s eyes widened comedically. “You wouldn’t.”

“Oh, I would. So I suggest you try to sleep after you’re done. Good night!”

And with that, Time left the champion to his job. 

His boys would be fine and he was content with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dad time is best time aaaaaa
> 
> anyway i pulled out my botw save file to map out wild’s plan and like in the middle of walking myself from kakariko to hateno the fucking blood moon happened and fun fact abt me, i am the most passive gamer in existence. i literally over have one divine beast completed bc my older brother fought waterblight ganon for me and i have my dad play w me during exploration so i can throw the controller at him any time there’s a monster agsjdhd i also crouch/sneak everywhere instead of walking so i have a shit load of hours agsjdhkd
> 
> botw tho is the game i’ve played the most of myself. windwaker for the gamecube is the first zelda i remember and twilight princess is my favorite but i grew up watching my dad and brother play the games for me. i hate combat and i’m rlly bad at memorizing button patterns for attacks so i tend to avoid all of that for pretty much every single game i’ve played. like even pokemon, i avoid trainers and wild pokemon like the mf plague it’s a habit agsjdhkd
> 
> anyway he’s a fun baby twi headcanon from yours truly: he sleeps with a plush kitty at night !! i tried to show how clingy he is bc without the kitty we has nothing to hold and that’s no good. as someone who sleeps in a bed full of plushies, i have to have at least one of them in my arms for a good nights sleep. if i’m staying at a friends house and i forget a plush, i use my shirt bc i gotta cling onto something. same w twi tho he prolly grows out of it idk who knows. but yeah he most definitely only made it through the night because he’s snuggled up with his pelt in his arms.
> 
> this chapter was difficult bc there was no twi but dw he’ll be back next chapter !! i hope y’all enjoyed this one and i really seriously appreciate y’all <33
> 
> (oh and if u wanna talk to me else where (idk why agshdj) my tumblr is oriondoesthings)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys sorry it took so long to upload this chapter, i’ll explain more in the notes afterwards but i hope y’all like the gangs shenanigans 
> 
> (also idk if i’ve ever mentioned this, but i do write everything in my notes app and i post on mobile so if formatting is ever a bit weird that’s prolly why agskshsk)

The group woke up nice and early, quickly eating a warm breakfast as per Wild’s culinary talent. 

There was very little fuss from Twilight. He silently ate the food placed in front of him and trailed behind Time as the hero helped pack up camp. 

The only problem that came up was when they were leaving. 

Twilight stood in front of Time, arms raised, expecting to be picked up. 

“Pup, you gotta walk on your own.” This earned a soft stamp from the child’s foot. “I need both of my hands free in case i need to use my sword.”

The boy whined and continued to make grabby hands at the hero. The rest of the group stood ahead, watching the interaction. 

“No Twilight, I can’t pick you up right now. You can either ask one of the other boys or you can walk alone like a big boy.” 

Twilight dropped his arms in a huff and maneuvered his way behind Time with plans of trailing him like he’d done all morning. 

The old man was not about to allow this. Time grabbed his pup’s arm and dragged him in front of the hero. 

“I’m taking up the rear meaning you have to stay in front of me at all times.” Twilight huffed again. “You might have more fun with the other boys up front, yeah?”

The kid’s eyes widened as he quickly shook his head. 

“I think so. Maybe you could ask Wind to tell you another pirate story or you could scout out front with Wild. I hear he really wants to play with you.” 

Time was trying his hardest. He needed to be ready to protect his boys if need be and with a clingy child attached to his hip, he would be at a severe disadvantage. 

“Please, Link. I promise I’ll carry you when we get to Kakariko.”

This got Twilight’s attention. He perked up, nodded with a toothy grin, and skipped forwards towards the group. 

The hero let out a sigh and began trailing the kid. The rest of the group took it as their cue to keep moving forward. 

Time watched as Twilight walked silently upfront with Wild. He had initially been only a little ways in front of him, avoiding the other heroes in front of him until Warriors took initiative to start up a conversation. 

With the captain much too close for comfort, Twilight scurried up front with Wild. 

At first, the kid had taken to wandering off path anytime he saw something that caught his eye. He’d veer towards rushrooms with curiosity and towards remains of a time before the calamity with wonder in his eyes only to be pulled back by Wild. 

The champion had been keeping a very close eye on the kid. Not only was he not letting Twilight drift further than two feet from his side but he was doing so in complete silence. 

So, Twilight walked in silence next to Wild, fiddling with his necklace. The rest of his boys walking behind the two making casual conversation with Sky sticking to the rear with Time. 

It seemed like they were making good time too. The sun had yet to reach its peak and from what it looked like, they were halfway to Kakariko. 

The rest of their trip would've been easy if not for the fox that crossed their path. 

The little red fox scrambled in front of the heroes, but not without scaring Twilight. 

The kid startled at the sight of the creature, clutching his necklace in the palm of his hand. 

Suddenly, no longer was there a human boy, but a small wolf pup chasing down the fox, albeit clumsily. 

Shit. 

In the time it took the other eight Links to react, Twilight was already gone past the nearby tree line. 

Fuck. 

They hadn’t even had the child for a full day and they had already lost him. Time made a mental note to never have children (and to take away Twilight’s necklace if— no, when they find him). 

Time hadn’t even noticed the six pairs of eyes staring at him until a beat had passed. Six? 

With a quick glance, the hero saw as Wild disappeared into the nearby woods just as the wolf pup had done. 

“Alright. Sky, Warriors, with me. We’re following Wild. The rest of y’all stay back so we don’t lose the trail.” Before dashing off, Time added a final note. “I’ll answer your questions later.” 

With that, the three heroes set off behind Twilight and Wild, leaving the other four a mix of concern and confusion. 

“What’s the plan Old Man?” Wars jogged next to Time. 

“Find Wild and follow his orders. I brought you along because you’re our best tracker aside from Twi and Sky has the Master Sword. This magic is technically dark magic and if Wild doesn’t know how to reverse it, the Master Sword might be our best bet.”

Sky stumbled up on the other side of Time. 

“So you’re saying Twilight has had dark magic on his person this entire time and nobody bothered to tell us? That’s so unbelievably,” Sky huffed, “reckless,” and puffed,” and dangerous!” 

By the time Sky finished his sentence, they had reached Wild, who was stood in the middle of a small clearing looking helpless. 

“Wild, what happened?” 

A small whined escaped the champion as he tried to find the words. “He just, followed the fox into a hole and then he was gone. I tried but I don’t know-“

Time cut him off. “It’s okay. We’ll figure this out.” He looked back to the other two taking control of the situation as the scarred hero was not in the proper state to do so. “Warriors, if you can find any tracks, that would be helpful. Sky see if Fi might be able to pinpoint him. Wild stay close to me, I have an idea.”

The four broke apart and began doing as they were told. 

“So this idea of yours...”

“Twilight knows me at this age so I assume time is a major player in this,” Time began grabbing the blue ocarina strapped to his belt. 

“We’ll see if he recognizes this. If not, let’s hope Sky and Wars are better off.” He sat down on the grass and brought the ocarina to his lips. 

Time began playing. the notes E, G, D, C, D in succession with the occasional G and F notes fitted in the melody. The song almost sounded like a lullaby fit to put any child to sleep. 

He continued playing for a minute or two before a squeaky howl sounded off from not too far. 

Time continued playing on as the howling grew closer. Sky and Warriors stopped their tasks waiting as the light pounding of footsteps drew near. 

Soon enough, a small wolf puppy with the same facial markings as Twilight appeared out of the brush. The music stopped as the puppy bounded towards Time’s arms. 

The oldest hero caught the bundle of fur and was treated to a barrage of little licks all over his face. 

“Okay, Okay!” Time chuckled. “Wild, do you know how to change him back?”

The small smile that had found its way onto Wild’s face at the sight of Twilight (because who doesn’t love a puppy) vanished at the older hero’s words. 

“No,” the champion paused, “It was never a big deal, he just did it.”

Warriors and Sky looked between Time and Wild with a mix of bewilderment and confusion at the scene taking place in front of them. It wasn’t until the pulse of Fi behind Sky that the hero drew his blade. 

The hero gently approached the puppy as to not frighten him. “Fi said she’s done this before,” he murmured to the rest of the group. 

The pup whined and squirmed in Time’s arms, desperate to get away from Sky’s sword or Sky himself, it was unclear. The hero was strong, grip never loosened at the Master Sword barely grazed Twilight’s forehead. 

After a bright flash of light, a human boy sat amazed staring at the skyloftian. 

All five hylians sat in silence for a beat. Twilight’s gaze shifted from Sky to the man holding him. A small giggle fell from the boys lips as he began vibrating from excitement. 

“Again! Again!” The boy chanted as he squirmed to clutch his necklace once more. 

Thankfully, Time was swift. He pulled the necklace off the child, carefully avoiding the crystal, and handed it out to Wild who was still stood in amazement. 

“Take this please. Put it in your slate or something and don’t give it back ‘til he’s back to normal.”

Wild nodded dumbfoundedly barely taking his eyes off the vibrant child whose light didn’t dim once when his necklace was taken from him. No, Twilight simply shifted his energy into rambling about how cool Sky’s sword was and asking “Mr. Wolf” if he had a cool sword too. 

“Oi!” Warriors shouted to get the attention of the others. “We should probably get back with the others. Don’t want to get to Kakariko too late.”

Sky nodded, sheathing his sword and reaching a hand out towards Time. The child latched onto the aforementioned hero should no sign of unlatching himself so the chosen hero’s help was much appreciated. 

After heaving himself and Twilight up from the ground, Time turned to Wild. 

“How much longer to Kakariko?” 

Wild hummed before speaking, “I’d say an hour, maybe half past at most.” 

Warriors had already begun leading the way back to the path and the heroes they left behind. Sky followed behind the soldier and Wild brought up the rear. Twilight had not stopped rambling, about what? Time wasn’t quite sure himself but he let out hums of acknowledgment every now and again. 

Before the group of five knew it, they were reunited with the other half of the party, who had been sitting under the sun playing games to pass the time. Twilight’s excitable rambling slowed to a halt at the sight of the others. 

“Finally, fucking hell,” Legend began to stand up. “How much longer to Kakariko?”

“And how much longer before we can ask our questions?” Wind chimed in. 

Wild pushed forward. “I’ll answer your questions after we speak with Impa. We can’t be further than two hours out from Kakariko so it’s best if we get moving now.”

The eight heroes walk with Twilight silently burying his face into Time’s shoulder. 

The rest of the group remained fairly quiet with Wind and Hyrule playing a rather lame game of “I spy” and a whispered conversation between Warriors and Sky. It was obvious that Four and Legend were trying and failing to eavesdrop. 

Wild remained up front, guiding them to the village. Occasionally, the champion would look back at Time and Twilight with a look in his eye that the Old Man couldn’t quite decipher. 

And just to Wild’s prediction, the heroes arrived at the edge of Kakariko Village in a little over an hour. 

The sun was barely past its highest point and the group was no less tired from the walk itself. 

It was only at the entrance of the village did Time bother looking down at the boy in his arms. 

With soft breaths and long eyelashes, Twilight slept peacefully. The hero let out a gentle chuckle as he followed his boys into the village. 

“This is Kakariko. Impa’s just in the building over there. Hopefully, she knows how to fix Twilight.”

Just like the rest of their journey through this Hyrule, Wild lead the way to their answer. Or at least Time could only have faith that the Sheikah woman would know of a way to bring back his second in command.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so there’s rlly no easy way to explain why it took some time so i’m not gonna sugarcoat it. my oldest brother died the day after i posted the last chapter. i won’t say why or anything but i was writing this chapter when my parents pulled me aside to tell me. it sucks and my brain has been all over the place but i really love this story so i am going to continue posting 
> 
> on a lighter note, i submitted two college applications and im back in school !! so chapter updates might slow down as my work piles up but i don’t have any intentions of abandoning ship agsjdhdj
> 
> for this chapter, i wasn’t originally gonna touch on twi’s ability. i was just gonna write this and eventually bring up that the crystal is in wild’s slate with the rest of twi’s stuff but i thought it would be fun if the rest of the group found out this way. i’m gonna delve more into it in maybe a chapter or two but now we actually have a reason for this fic to be called puppy agskshsk 
> 
> (i’ve also done a shit ton of research on how puppies act in pack and how runts are affected in that situation so that may or may not pop up in the future)
> 
> also i’ve been lowkey thinking of joining the lu discord idk im rlly shy and i don’t really talk in my other discord servers that im in so idk if that would be a good idea for me but i do just be thinking abt it agsjdhdk
> 
> anyway i hope y’all like this chapter !! i really appreciate y’all for reading and kudosing and commenting and everything it really means so much to me :’)
> 
> I CANT BELIEVE I ALMOST FORGOT !! i doodled a time and baby twi thingy a bit ago and posted it to my tumblr https://oriondoesthings.tumblr.com/post/639029983213404160/i-drew-baby-twi-and-dad-time-just-to-feel wowie lookie there it’s them two i love okie that’s all <3 u


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter made me so happy yall i love baby twilight :’)

“I’m sorry Link, but there’s just no information I could find on Wizzrobes reverting a person back to a younger form.”

The nine heroes stood in front of Impa with Wild closest to the Sheikah woman and Time holding a sleeping Twilight closest to the exit. The group had spent the better part of an hour trying to explain what happened and Impa and her granddaughter had spent almost equal amount of time trying to find an answer to their questions. 

The hero of this era huffed and tugged at his long ponytail, cheeks slightly rosier than they tended to be from frustration. “But-“

“Link, we’ve searched through every historical artifact on Wizzrobes in the village and not one bit of information turned up on turning adult men into small children.” Impa sighed before starting again. “Have you even bothered contacting Zelda? She has access to the royal library. You know Kakariko isn’t a fountain of knowledge for all of Hyrule.”

Wild’s shoulders slumped as his posture turned into something akin to a bow. “I’m sorry for getting upset Impa.” He said about to continue on before getting interrupted. 

“No need to apologize for your emotions Champion, they’re only natural.”

The aforementioned hero started again, even glancing back and referencing the rest of the group every once in a while. However, Time was no longer focused on the conversation but instead on the stirring child in his arms. 

Twilight squirmed and stretched, showing signs of waking at moments notice. Wanting to make the boy as comfortable as possible, Time softly grunted to get the attention of the others. 

Nine pairs of eyes fell to him, with Impa’s granddaughter (whom he’d forgotten the name of) quickly switching her gaze back to the floor. The eight others awaiting for a word to be spoken. 

“The pup seems to be fixin’ to wake up. I’m gonna step out so he isn’t too confused by being in an unfamiliar place.” He paused. “Y’all finish the conversation, no rush, I’m just gonna be right down the stairs.” 

Without waiting for any sort of reply, Time turned tail and headed out. 

Halfway down the long set of stairs, Twilight hummed awake, eyes fluttering open taking in his surroundings. 

The boy let out a large yawn before speaking. “M’ster Wolf? Where are we now?”

Time smiled down at the boy as they reached the end of the stairs. He maneuvered the two the furthest away from the villagers while still being close to where Impa resides. 

“We’re in Kakariko Village.” Time said. 

Twilight’s eyes grow wide and his head tilted to the side like a curious puppy. “We’re in Hyrule?”

“Yes Pup.”

A toothy smile spread across the boy’s face. “Woah! I’ve never been to Hyrule before!” He squirmed in Time’s arms trying to look at everything around him.

The older hero chuckled and let Twilight down. As soon as his two feet hit the ground, the child attempted to run off. With far quicker reflexes than an eight year old, Time grabbed Twi’s arm, stopping him no further than arm’s length away. 

That didn’t stop him from tugging on the man. “Come on, Mr. Wolf! We have to go look at all of Hyrule! Hurry up! Lemme go! The sun’s going down!” 

Eventually, the excitement tired his energy as he huffed frustrated next to Time’s side, holding the old man’s hand in his. 

Just as Twilight calmed down, Legend and Warriors led the group down the long set of stairs. Time didn’t miss how Wild and Sky were missing from the party but he assumed it was all for good reason and began to make his way to the others. 

“What’s next Old Man?” Legend said, stopping in front of Time and Twilight. The latter had situated himself a bit behind Time’s legs shyly but otherwise looked free of tension. 

“Y’all tell me. The only thing we have to do is grab some space at the Inn, other than that I’d say you’re free to explore the village as you see fit.”

Wind perked up from the back of the group. “Awesome! Wild mentioned some people that I should talk to so I’m gonna go find them!” The sailor began making his way out into the rest of the village. 

Warriors started walking behind the teen while still keeping his focus on the group. “I guess I should make sure he doesn’t get into too much trouble.” The soldier chuckled and turned, jogging up next to where Wind had bounded off. 

Legend rolled his eyes before gesturing back to the remaining heroes. “‘Rule, Four, and I had our eyes on some shop.”

The three started walking off not stopping when Time began talking. “Should we wait for-“

“Nah, Sky’s got it covered, even mentioned something about praying to their damned goddess or whatever. Wouldn’t worry about it.” Legend said walking on. 

Four turned around, walking backwards, shouting to Time. “I’ll make sure they don’t spend all the rupees!” This earned the short hero a playful smack on the head by Hyrule. 

Hyrule and Four laughed together, play fighting behind Legend, making their way to whatever shops they had planned on visiting. 

Time sighed happily. He shifted his gaze down to the figure glued to his arm. Staring back at him were large blue eyes, watching and waiting for what could happen next. 

The two ended up walking around Kakariko before settling down at the inn. Twilight explored the village with all the wonder he could muster, but pointedly avoid any other person. However, they did stop to buy a snack which the kid had insisted he pay for himself. Time lent him the rupees and he gave them to the elderly woman who ran the shop. No words shared but overall good social practice for Twilight. 

Now, they sat in the inn. Twilight’s legs hung off the bed as he swung them to a beat in his head and Time sat across from him on a chair polishing his sword. 

The silence was comfortable for the most part but it was obvious that the boy was using all his energy to keep it silent. Instead of letting the sprightly child stew in his energy, Time decided to break the silence between the two. 

“What’s up Pu-“ 

“Can I ask you a question, Mr. Wolf?” Twilight interrupted. The older hero merely chuckled and nodded at the ball of energy in front of him. 

“Can you play the song on your music-thingy again? Like you used to before Ordon?”

Time raised an eyebrow at the request. “What song? I know quite a few.”

Twilight jumped up off the bed and scurried to the old man’s personal space. “The one that you used to say was your friend’s! You used so say that when you’d play the song she would show up but I think you were just making that up because she never came. Please Mr. Wolf!” 

The boy was climbing up into his lap now but Time just sat perplexed. When had he played Saria’s Song for Twilight? And what had he told the pup about her? “I- uh- Sure Pup.”

He was so lost in thought he hadn’t even registered having pulled his ocarina off his belt or bringing it up to his lips. Muscle memory took over as he played the notes. Saria’s Song filled the room and if you’d listen close enough, Twilight was softly humming along. 

There was a calm that lingered when the music eventually ended. A small smile was plastered on Time’s face at the memory of his dear friend and Twilight was no longer bounding with excess energy. 

The serenity was very quickly broken as the door was slammed open. Twilight jumped and hid his face into the chest of the one-eyed hero. With steeled reflexes, Time calmly turned to the source of the noise. 

“Oops,” Wind chuckled awkwardly with Warriors standing behind him look exasperated at the teen’s antics. 

Turning back down to the child in his lap, Time rubbed his pup’s back gently, trying to coax him from his frightened state. “It’s okay Pup. Look, it’s Wind and Warriors, no danger.”

Twilight nodded softly as he detached himself from the hero and looked back at Wind and Warriors. He raised his hand slowly and offered a small wave to the heroes. 

Wind stepped into the room with Warriors trailing behind him, both heroes grinning brightly at Twilight coming out of his shell. 

“Why don’t you go grab the others, Old Man?” Warriors started. 

“Yeah! I actually got a gift for Twi so we can watch him for a few minutes.” Wind smiled, eyes begging for Time to accept. 

It would be a good bonding exercise for the kid. If he could trust the heroes enough to be alone with them, it would be safer in case Time needed to be away from the group. Twilight needed to get used to the rest of the group and this was a perfect starting point. 

“That sounds good with me.” Time lifted the boy off his lap, setting him down on his two feet. Making his way towards the door, Twilight didn’t protest this arrangement. “I’ll be back Pup.” 

With that, Time made his leave. 

Collecting the other five heroes was no trouble at all. Sky and Wild were both kneeling in front of a statue of Hylia, speaking quietly between each other. 

There whispers ceased when Time approached, Sky smiling up at the hero and Wild making his way to stand up. 

“Suppose I should start up dinner, hm?” The champion spoke giving a hand to help the skyloftian stand too. 

“Give it a rest Wild, I’m sure the inn will have some food.” Sky nudged at the long haired hero. 

Wild merely giggled. “It’s no worries. You know I love cooking.” 

“Dinner sounds great Cub.” Time said. “Would y’all happen to know where Legend, Hyrule, and Four may be?”

Sky just pointed behind the old man. 

Turning around, he saw the remaining three heroes chatting casually while coming out of a shop. Four was being carried on Hyrule’s back and Legend had a grin on his face. 

Time approached the three with Sky and Wild trailing behind. “Hey kids,” he interrupted. “We’re headed back to the inn.”

“Whatever you say Old Man!” Hyrule teased. 

“Wait,” Four looked around the surrounding area. “Where’s the kid?”

“On my back.”

“Shut up ‘Rule, I’m older than you and I’m being serious. I didn’t think Twi would be leaving Time’s side anytime soon.”

The old man smiled. “He’s with Wind and Warriors.” 

Hyrule’s eyes widened. “And you trust them with an eight year old?!”

“I’d trust them with my life but Twilight agreed to it. He would be with me if he wasn’t comfortable.”

“Well,” Legend started walking towards the inn. “what are we waiting for?”

The five other heroes followed closely behind, making their way to their night accommodations. It wasn’t until they were opening the door until they heard the noise coming out of the room. 

Wind sounded like he was struggling and Warriors was cackling like a madman. When they began opening the door, Wind shouted in pain. 

“He fucking bit me! Stop laughing Wars, it hurt! He’s got like razor sharp teeth holy shit!”

Warriors laughter got louder as he clutched his stomach from laughing too much.

The scene was clear. Wind and Twilight looked to be wrestling, the sailor very obviously losing. A toothy smile covered the child’s face which remained wide as ever as his focus snapped to the heroes in the doorway. 

Twilight stood up and ran to Time, hugging his legs tightly and bounding with energy. 

Wind laid on the ground panting as the other heroes joined in with Warriors’ laughter. 

The kid at the legs raised his arms, a silent plead to be lifted. Time happily obliged, setting the boy on his hip had begun to feel natural from the past few days. 

Twilight brought his face towards his ear and whispered, “I like them, Mr.” 

The pup pulled away and blushed, shyly hiding in Time’s neck but smile never wiping from his face. 

Yeah. Time did too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope y’all liked this chapter!!
> 
> also yes i do say y’all quite often. i am from the souther united states so i was kinda born into this dialect. i don’t think i have any sort of accent but i do use a lot of the southern vocabulary ahskdhdk yall is just so convenient 
> 
> anyway this chapter ! took forever ! i managed to finish links awakening (which means that la was the first zelda game i beat by myself !!) and a link to the past between writing the last chapter and this one. the main reason was bc i’m having a really hard time playing games that me and my brother would play together and that’s a lot of switch and ds games so i’ve kinda been stuck on my gameboy for the time being. sorry for inaccuracies in the botw world bc like i said, im kinda avoiding my switch agsjdhkd 
> 
> but yeah i really loved this chapter it makes me so happy :’) next chapter is another one without twilight but the boys gotta have a good long talk and twi has to go to bed at bedtime
> 
> once again i really appreciate every one of y’all reading, leaving kudos, commenting, bookmarking, and all the jazz it genuinely means a lot to me <3 and feel free to reach out to me if you want on my tumblr @oriondoesthings i don’t talk abt my fics a lot but sometimes i post art and im always down to talk w y’all !!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is so soft 
> 
> i’m really bad at words (which isn’t a good trait of someone who is actively writing a story agsjdjdk) but i do have synesthesia and this part of the story is deep oranges and browns with gold specks and it’s like a fire and safe and i really like this chapter a lot more than i was expecting to
> 
> tho it is more so a filler chapter so sorry that it’s shorter but i hope y’all like it nonetheless

The group had a peaceful evening. 

Wild had threw together a quick meal for everyone that was more than grateful for. The hot meal did wonders for everyone’s backseat anxiety over Twilight’s condition. 

After dinner, Twilight bounced between the heroes, some being approached with more caution. 

Wind was the easiest for the boy to interact with. He had very little problem with running over and tackling the sailor or just sitting in front of him waiting for a story of the sea. The teen had no complaints about this, even mentioning how it had reminded him of his own little sister (just with more biting—serious why are his teeth like little razors?). 

Twilight had stayed close to Time during dinner but ventured towards the other heroes when the Old Man told him that they could play music another time. The older hero was content with this, watching his pup gaining confidence interacting with the others. 

Warriors was a bit more apprehensive of the kid, saying he was younger than any of the kids he’d watched over in the military and not wanting to mess him up. Twilight’s face soured at the mention of the military but he continued to politely sign a personal greeting—that Sky next to him was translating. 

The kid sat in Sky’s lap after his short interaction with the soldier. The Skyloftian was gentley carding his fingers through the shag of Twilight’s hair, humming a quiet tune for only the two of them to hear. Upon hearing it, the child began signing excitedly mentioning something about ‘Wolf’ and ‘lullaby’. He was going to fast and too sloppily for the hero to understand everything but Sky nodded enthusiastically nonetheless. 

Legend was an enigma with the kid. He looked ever as grumpy as the kid played with the jewelry on his hands but the two were exchanging quiet words. Once in a while, you’d be able to see a small smile make its way onto his face. 

When Hyrule stalked up next to the two was when Legend handed off Twilight. The traveler hovered, keeping his distance from the kid as he made small talk. Hyrule asked the child how the weather was (good), what his favorite color was (orange), if he was allergic to anything (what does that mean?). The awkward interaction continued on for a few minutes until the blacksmith walked by, which he was promptly dragged into entertaining Twilight. 

Four wasn’t entirely confident when engaging with the kid seeing as his first interaction indirectly caused a panic attack, but Twilight clearly held no ill will towards the short hero. Soon enough though, he got into explaining the wonders of the Picori like he had with most children and young teens. It was always a joy seeing their eyes sparkle at the little world even if they didn’t entirely believe in the Minish’s existence. 

Eventually, Twilight wondered over to Wild, plopping himself with no words. With a large yawn, he snuggled into the champion’s chest. Almost instinctively, the scarred hero’s arms protectively wound themselves around the small boy. 

Time took this as his cue to grab the boy and put him to bed. When he offered to take the child out from the champion, Wild softly shook his head and muttered, “He’s not a bother.”

The older hero nodded with a hum and decided instead to wrangle the other heroes together so they can discuss the events of the day as well as possible plans for tomorrow. Not that it would be a hard task, no, Time just didn’t want to disrupt the domestic bliss that seems like a blessing given their current situation.

With all nine heroes gathered ‘round the inn’s fireplace, a tense silence muted the Links. 

“So,” Sky broke the silence, ever the peacemaker, “Twilight wields dark magic. How shall we proceed?”

“We don’t.” Legend spoke confidently. “Dark magic isn’t anything to be messed with and he shouldn’t be using it daily.”

Hyrule piped up, “He’s right. I had suspicions, but now that it’s been confirmed we need to set boundaries of dark magic for his safety and ours.”

“What do you mean “our safety”?” Wind started. “Wolfie has protected us more times than I can count. It would be fucking stupid to force the rancher to get rid of a power that he’s clearly good at.”

“That’s the problem, kid.” Legend said. “He and Wild are one in the same.” The champion perked up at the mention of his name, but Legend continued speaking before he got a chance to say anything. “Self-sacrificing assholes. Sure Twilight has saved us more times than a pirate can count but how many times has the wolf snuck away after getting injured? How many times has he snuck off to go patrolling by himself? It’s a danger to himself and will subsequently become a danger to us all.”

“And dark magic always has consequences.” Hyrule noted. 

The group sat in contemplative silence for a moment, taking in the information handed to them by the veteran and the traveler. “Shouldn’t we be getting the full story from Wild or Time before we draw our own conclusions?” Warriors questioned. “Like, we don’t know the extent of his magic and I feel like that’s an important variable in deciding. I also think we shouldn’t be deciding on anything until the rancher can defend himself but that’s just me.”

Seven pairs of eyes fell onto Time. 

“I can tell y’all all I know, but I’m not an expert on everything.” The old man started with a sigh. “His ability stems from the crystal which he wears on his neck. It isn’t dark magic per se, at least he swears it isn’t, but rather it’s a form of magic from the Twili—“ He paused and looked over at Wild who nodded in confirmation. “Twili Tribe.”

“The mark on his face is his consequence.” The heroes quickly looked over at Wild who had begun speaking. “He was cursed into his wolf form permanently on his journey by an evil being who place the crystal in his forehead. His companion saved him and he was left with the marks on his face. They darken or fade depending on how often he uses the crystal’s magic.”

“Wait,” Sky spoke, shifting his gaze back to Time, “If you and Wild knew, why were you letting him get away with hiding injuries?”

The only hero who hadn’t piped up during this meeting finally spoke. “A few of us knew.” All eyes fell on Four. “He was never getting away with it even if he tried.”

“So who all knew?” Warriors asked hesitantly. 

Four continued. “I’m under the assumption that it was only myself, Wild, Time, and Legend, unless anyone else here knew?” 

With the other four shaking their heads, Time took it as a cue to continue on. “He was going to tell y’all eventually, but he had—has— some worries about how people would react. However, I do agree with Warriors. He shouldn’t be deciding his fate when he can’t properly explain it to us because I know I don’t have the full story. Right now, the kid does not have any possession of the crystal and it will stay that way until we get our Twilight back. Did I cover it all?”

Wind perked up. “How did you figure it out Old Man?”

Time chuckled at the teen’s enthusiasm. “A couple days after all nine of us got together. Wasn’t hard to put two and two together. Pup would say he was headed out to patrol and suddenly and wolf was at our sides. Though it was hard to corner him about it, slippery fella.”

“What about you Champ-“ The sailor’s words faded off at the sight of Wild. 

He was slumped against the wall, nose nuzzled into Twilight’s hair. The two cuddled close both dead asleep. 

“Guess we should all get some shut eye if we’re wanting to head out tomorrow, yeah?” The soldier stood up and stretched before stalking his way to a bed. 

Wind followed behind Warriors, flopping in bed together, the former falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. 

Time walked over to the already sleeping pair. Not wanting to wake them, he gently scooped the two up and set them carefully into a nearby bed. Neither of them seemed to be waking so he pulled the blanket over their shoulders and bid them a silent good night. 

Eventually, all the heroes were stripped of their armor and cuddled up into a bed. 

Time was setting up his bedroll on the floor when Four sat up from where he was laying next to sky. “You’re not planning on sleeping on the floor, are you?”

Before the old man could even answer, the blacksmith was making his way to the bed where Time had tucked in Twilight and Wild. There was more than enough space for another person especially if that person was the smallest one in the party. 

“Take my spot, I fit here perfectly.” 

Time did as he was told, not in the mood for any arguments. 

All nine of them slept peacefully and soundly, resting for their adventure that would continue on tomorrow. Hopefully they would be one step closer to bringing back their missing piece.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it took a bit for me to write this :’) it’s been a mix of the big sad and not wanting to write this part of the story that’s caused my procrastination 
> 
> but then i wrote it and it was very nice very soft rlly shouldn’t have put it off for so long
> 
> there’s a scene that i wanted to write in this that i could figure out how to include it but just know that hyrule and legend had a discussion (re:hyrule interrogated legend) about him knowing about the dark magic and not doing anything to stop it. dw tho no anger just wanting to understand the situation better. legend’s defense was a.) keeping the bunny incident a secret and b.) not wanting to break twilight’s trust by exposing a secret of his
> 
> i am really excited to write the next chapter tho !!! like this is the chapter that i’ve been wanting to write since i decided that i was gonna make this a series and i’m so !!!!!!
> 
> anyway thank y’all so much for reading and commenting and kudosing and all that jazz i really genuinely appreciate it it means the world to me <3 see y’all next chapter !!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh boy was this chapter hard to write o_0
> 
> but uh yeah idk how i feel abt it yet but it’s definitely something

The morning had been just as domestic as it had been the past few days, a bit with more chittering about from Twilight (both in sign and verbally). 

They packed quickly and effectively and were on the road before the sun rose too high. 

The path out of the village was safe with the eight heroes keeping close eye on the young boy. Time had managed to convince Wild to stick around instead of using his slate to visit his Zelda. Of course there hadn’t been any issues for the past few days but the old man was on edge. 

Things were too calm— Hylia was being far too kind to them. 

As they journeyed on, Twilight bounced between each hero to engage in throwaway conversation. He even once requested a piggie back ride from Wind but eventually slid off to talk to Sky. The kid was very animated once he was properly out of his shell. He was actually looking like a vibrate eight year old, unknowing of the strife of life—like a happy child. 

Time’s heart soared at the sight. The pup even occasionally bounded over to him to ask him all sorts of questions. Ranging from if the hero could teach him to play the one song or if he knew how to take care of horses (apparently Twilight was just given ownership to a small foal and needed some advice), even asking from Time’s life story—though that one was carefully avoided. 

Twilight also had a knack for trying to explore. The group had seen a hint of the boy’s desire for adventure the previous day, but did his eagerness to run off shined today. Maybe it was the fact that they had a longer trip to make that caused Twilight’s itch to wander off, who knows. 

It was humorous to watch Wild playfully redirected the boy back on path though. A stark contrast to the ridged corrections the champion had demonstrated yesterday; The heroes were growing comfortable with the child. 

It wasn’t hard to see the Twilight they knew in the boy in front of them. The want to make others smile, the patience to listen, the love for every animals and insect they came across, each an aspect of the farmer that made Twilight really feel like, well, Twilight. 

Though, there was more to this boy than what they had known of him. 

The boy’s silence was the main difference. Of course with him coming out of his shell within the past few hours, that had changed, but there were still moments when Twilight depended on sign language more so than the spoken one. 

The group had known he knew sign; when Wild first joined, Twilight was his designated interpreter. 

However, the periods of silence were puzzling to the group. They tended to stick their nose in at the darnedest moments. Sometimes in the middle of a conversation, the boy would just switch his method of communication. After a half hour of silence from Twilight, he’d be back to talking about nothing and everything at the same time. 

What was occasionally partnered with the silence was the most concerning. If he were not in the middle of a conversation, Twilight’s eyes would glaze over. His vibrant fidgeting would turn timid and small. The hero they knew, always seemed to say the right words (even if he didn’t feel like it himself). His words were a comfort so the lack of them— even in this regressed state— felt off. Yet almost like clockwork, the boy would perk back up in no more than an hour, bouncing around and chatting the heroes ears off. 

The boy also had a reluctance of standing still, a contrast to the sturdy hero. He had a habit of petting the pelt amongst his shoulders whenever someone would tell him to stop picking at his skin or biting his fingers. The latter two quirks were frequent within themselves. He’d unknowingly move to picking a scab that made its way onto his arm or bring the tip of his ring finger to his pointed teeth, only stopping when one of the heroes (more often than not, Legend) would tell him to stop. Yet 15 minutes later, Twilight would subconsciously begin these actions again. 

When talking— verbally mind you— the boy would sign as a way to move his hands. Always moving, bouncing, buzzing, in every moment. That doesn’t mean he wasn’t calm because Twilight was a very well behaved boy, but he just did not stop going. 

Time watched the boy frolic forward a few paces in front and skip back to Wild’s side. The repetition of the moment lulled the old man back into that sense of safety. 

Anticipation of disaster happening to the group, to his boys, was almost forgotten. 

Yet, it was a quick reminder when the champion slid to Twilight’s protection, arrow now sticking out of his shield. 

The battle started in the blink of an eye. One moment Time was watching his boys following trail carelessly and happily and the next he saw seven heroes tense and ready for combat. 

He fought the instinct to join them, instead running across the now battlefield to protect their defenceless member. 

Twilight was lighter than he’d been the past few times he was lifted by the old man but Time just chalked it up to adrenaline. 

The two left the others, fleeing a few yards into a nearby wood. He didn’t know what had attacked them but he needed to believe that Hylia wouldn’t purposely harm a child (who was he kidding?). 

Gently setting the boy in the foliage, Time placed his large hands on Twilight’s shoulders. Taking a deep breath, the hero attempted to controlling his pounding heart and shaky voice. 

“Twilight,” the boy was staring back at him with wide eyes, picking at the skin around his fingernails absentmindedly. “I need you to stay here.”

“You’re leaving me too.” The child said it as a statement as if he’d believed it. 

“No Pup, I- I’m not but you have to stay put. It’s for your safety” 

“That’s what Mama said.”

“I’m coming back. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I know how to- how to fight! Mr. R—“

“No.”

“Mr. Rusl has been teaching me!”

“Twilight, please just—“

“And I'm short and quick and I can do it! I won’t get-“

“Link.”

“-hurt be-because I know how to do it I promise y—“

“Link!” Time shouted. He had to stop this before his other boys got hurt. He can only take so much and if he’s not there protecting the others that guilt will eat him alive. “You will stay right here or so help me Hylia. That is the end of the conversation. Is that understood?”

Was he being too harsh? Maybe, but he still doesn’t know what they’re dealing with. His priorities will always be on his boys’ safety and he was willing to be a bit mean to one if it meant they all were safe in the end. 

Satisfied with the small “Yes, Sir.” mumbled by the boy, Time began to make his way back to the group. Not before turning and taking one last look at his protege. 

Twilight stared— no, glared— at the ground, fingers still fiddling about. The hero was reminded just how small his pup was especially surrounded by the overgrown flora. 

He would be safe there. He could apologize to Twilight after everyone was safe and sound with no imminent danger ready to sneak up on them again. 

“-Least they’re from your era!”

“Doesn’t mean anything when they’re supposed to be dead!”

Arrows soared overhead from wherever Wild made his perch. Warriors was underneath him, fighting with a blue bokoblin with practiced disciple. Hyrule a few yards away, keeping defense from whatever beast was aiming at Wild. 

Jogging up to the scene, Sky was the nearest hero fighting off an infected red bokoblin. 

“Do we have a plan?” Time yelled to the Skyloftian. 

Pushing the monster back as far as possible, the hero fell back next to Time. The two stayed on defense as Sky grunted and shook his head. 

“I think we have an overall count of 6 bokoblins and 3 moblins but we’ve held ground.”

Time nodded sharply, blocking a swig for the red bokoblin’s club with his biggoron sword. 

Looking around, the old man saw Legend and Four weaved in and out of the horde taking hits at bokoblins and moblins alike, using their speed to their advantage. 

A boomerang bounced off of some enemies only to be caught and thrown again by Wind. The sailor wielded his sword in his other hand, occasionally taking swipes at enemies but mainly using it as defense. 

He was brought back to his position when Sky shoved Time out of the way, using his shield to block and taking a quick strike at the monster. 

The blade of the sacred Master Sword covered in infected, black blood. 

“Go help the others!” Sky shouted slashing and dodging. “I’ve got this one covered!”

With a sharp nod, Time weaved through the field landing himself back to back with Wind. Face to face with a red moblin. 

The hero deflected a jab from the moblin’s spear—taking the beast’s moment of vulnerability to slash at it’s stomach. 

“You good, Old Man?” The sailor shouted loud enough to hear in the commotion, throwing his boomerang again. 

“Fine!” 

He tried to play more offensively but it was proving to be difficult with the teen lacking a shield. 

Slashing again, warm, black blood splattering on his cheeks. The monster cried loudly, attacks becoming more aggressive.

A stone flew over his shoulder, hitting the monster in the head and temporarily stunning it. Not caring where it came from (maybe a gift from whichever damned goddess decided to be oh so gracious), Time thrust forward. 

The moblin lost it’s balance, just enough for the hero to finish it off with a jump attack. 

Panting, Time watched as it disappeared in a puff of black smoke. 

By the quiet behind him, he’d assume Wind had finished off his infected creature as well. 

“Right,” The sailor caught his breath first. “Guess we should go save the oth—“

His sentence was cut off by the sound of impact. 

Turning, Time and Wind saw an unconscious Sky at the base of a tree. Hyrule already racing towards him. 

“Shit. Sailor, go with Hyrule and grab Legend and Four. We need to group and come up with a plan.”

Time ran off towards Wild and Warriors before he got confirmation. 

When he was just loud enough to be heard by shouting, Time called out to the pair. 

“Fall back! We need to regroup!”

Making the rest of the way to their makeshift perch, Time stayed at defense while the other two readied themselves to flee. 

“Time,” Wild jumped down next to the hero, pulling him back to say he was ready to leave. “Where’s Tw—“

“Wind!”

Warriors was sprinting before they could recognize what had happened. 

The sailor was falling, red bleeding into his blue tunic, as another bokoblin stood over him. 

Wild nocked a glowing blue arrow and shot. The bokoblin vanishing leaving Warrior a safe path to rescue the teen. 

“Let’s go. Wars has got him.”

The pair turned to make their way towards where Sky was last. 

But he, Legend, and Four were nowhere to be seen. The only marker that they had been was Hyrule and the glowing portal he stood next to. 

There were two large bokoblins yards from Hyrule but Time’s pace still sped up. 

They were almost to the portal, Warriors carrying Wind right on their heels, when Hyrule’s head snapped to the right—towards the two bokoblins. 

The world seemed to slow down in that moment. 

Hyrule started running. 

One of the bokoblins raised its club, ready to hit it’s target. 

Only it’s target wasn’t Hyrule. 

It was Twilight. 

Time heard yelling but couldn’t make out any sound. His heart was pounding in his throat. He didn’t know when he started running. 

Twilight was struck by the club. 

Hyrule managed to catch the boy before the two tumbled into the portal. 

The remaining four heroes jumping through close behind, abandoning the battle scene for a new kingdom—for a different time, different place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i can’t write fight scenes lolsies
> 
> y’all didn’t think i forgot abt that angst tag now did you? 
> 
> anyway i’ve never like introduced myself on here so
> 
> hiii i’m orion :’) feel free to yell at me in the comments :’)


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